Star Trek: Eclipse: Acceptance
by Eve and Kamii
Summary: Story 3 about the combined, currently seperated Eclipse/Voyager crew
1. The Argument

Star Trek: Eclipse

Acceptance

Part 1: Introductions

Disclaimer: I'm sure you know what we do and don't own!

AN: This one is better than the last one. Promise.

Bryce shifted from one foot to another. She hadn't been so nervous for quite a while. 

"Eve, stop that. You're making me nervous. More nervous, that is." Her second scolded.

"Sorry." She muttered, stopping. Eve now tapped her nails on the wall.

"Like that's much better."

Kamii elbowed him to shut up, accompanied by a roll of Talon's eyes. Eve had lifted the restriction only hours earlier.

Finally, the docking bay doors opened.

"Took long enough." Eve said, with some irritation.

"It's not like you're meeting the Queen or anything. You know these people." Arik smiled at her.

"I said I was sorry!"

At this moment, the visitors entered the room.

"Daddy!" Eve yelled, running to her father, and throwing her arms around him. "Oh. And Alexis." She added, after a moment, glancing at the woman.

"Hello, dear." She smiled sweetly, and Eve held back a glare.

"Tom?" said a male voice.

"Dad?" 

"Well, it's most certainly not Harry's mother." Eve giggled.

"Dad, I-I- uh, wasn't expecting you." Paris stuttered.

"Well, I'm not alone…."

Tom's eldest sister hugged him. "We missed you, Tommy. It's been a long time."

Several feet away stood Talon and Kamii. After a moment of watching the events, they turned and left. Neither had any family. Any that would show up, anyway.

"Did you bring my clothes?" Eve asked, and her father laughed.

"Yes, sweetie."

She grinned. "Just checking."

"Eve! Come over here, meet my family." Harry called over.

"Alright." She grabbed her fathers wrist, and proceeded to pull him to where the Kim family stood. Alexis followed behind them.

"Eve, this is my mother; my father-" Harry began.

"John." Interrupted Mr. Kim, shaking hands with Eve.

"Right. And well, these are my grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins." Harry smiled.

"Nice to meet you." Eve paused. "My dad, Garrett, and his wife, Alexis." She mentioned Alexis with somewhat less enthusiasm.

Arik came up behind Eve, kissing her neck. "Hi there."

"Arik!" She exclaimed. "This is _not_ the time." She paused. "Or the place, for that matter. But we've already had that discussion."

"Aww, what a cute couple." Said someone nearby.

Eve's face turned a bit pink, making Arik laugh.

"Uh, um. Well, how about a tour of the Eclipse?" Eve changed subjects.

"I'd like that." Mrs. Kim seconded the idea.

"Alright then, let's go." Harry announced, leading the group.

*

"Eve, Starfleet has a surprise for you guys." Garrett said quietly.

"What is it?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?"

"Oooh…." She whined.

"You like it. A lot." Alexis assured her.

"You told her?" Eve hissed.

"Eve…" said her father, in his 'don't be rude to Alexis, young lady' tone.

"Don't Eve me!" she snapped. "I'm an adult, you can't go punishing me every time I say something you don't find nice."

"Eve Harmony Bryce, do not take that tone with me. You maybe be 21, but you are still my daughter." He said calmly. "We'll discuss this later." Then smiled, and spoke louder so everyone could hear. "So, where does this tour start?"

"Garrett, honey," Alexis whispered to her husband. "When are you going to tell her?"

"The Starfleet thing?"

"No. The other thing." She nodded toward her stomach.

"Oh. That. Later."

**

Captain Janeway sighed. A week had passed since the disappearance of the Eclipse. 

"Kathryn, you have to realize, we may not see them again." Chakotay said, gently.

"We're going to find them." She looked up at him from the desk. "We'll probably hear all about their return in the next sub-space transmission." 

"Back at Earth? The chance is slim."

"I know, I know. We can only hope."

"You have to accept that they may not have made it."

"I can't. A captain doesn't give up on her crew- ever. And something tells me they're out there." 

Chakotay sighed. "Alright then."

**

"This is our bridge. It has been fully upgraded with the newest technology." Eve smiled, opening her mouth to continue, when…

"Captain on the bridge!" Chandler announced from his post. Immediately all the officers seated stood.

"As you were. You know, you don't have to do that every time."

"Aw, you know you like it, Evey." Arik said, putting his arm around her waist. She removed his arm.

"I'm still annoyed at you about that kiss thing. In private I don't mind at all, but my father was present! Moreover, Admiral Paris! Sometimes I wonder if you ever use your head to think." She said quietly to him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that-"

"Well, is anybody hungry?" Harry asked, spotting the argument. "This would be a great time to visit the mess hall." 

Several people voiced their agreements.

"Alright, you can meet several other members of our crew there.." Ensign Kim continued, leading the group off the bridge.

"Well now, just what were you saying about me?" Arik asked, glaring at his best friend/girlfriend.

"I was about to say that you're always doing things like that! I thought we talked about how to act while on duty."

"But we weren't on duty."

"In uniform, all the same."

"Okay, I'm sorry." He forced a smiled. "Let's go eat."

*

"Hey, look, your cousin's flirting with Zeke." Tom pointed out to Harry. "Alright Zeke."

"Hey, that's my cousin we're talking about!"

Tom shrugged. "Zeke's a good guy. She'll be fine." He eyes wondered across the room , spotting an unhappy looking couple walking through the door. "Uh-oh."

"What?" Harry followed Tom's gaze.

"Things should get very interesting…." He walked toward the food line. "Come one, I want to hear this." 

"What's wrong with you today, anyway?" Arik asked.

"Wrong with me? Nothing."

"Oh, I see, 'nothing' is what makes you all edgy. I guess it was just 'nothing' back there on the bridge, huh? And with Alexis? You act like she's 'El diablo.'"

"Ooh, he's in for in now…" Tom muttered to Harry. "Watch, you might learn something about what not to say to women."

"The Devil?" Eve laughed sharply. "No. She's just… she isn't… I…"

"She's not Carrie. Not your birth mother. Oooh big offense! Better hate her, better yet, burn her at the stake. Seeing what a witch she is, you know, treating you like her own daughter. Just where does she get off? How dare she care about you."

"I never said that!"

"But you meant it."

"What of it?" she flipped hair over her shoulder, like she did when she got really annoyed.

"You're jealous aren't you?" Arik demanded. "Spoiled brat. You've got no reason to be this bitchy to everyone."

"Words of death." noted Tom. "She'll probably slap him."

"I am not jealous, and I am not a brat, and I'm not being bitchy. Honestly, sometimesi don't know how I put up with you."

"Put up with me? I have to put up with you!" 

"Oh, gee, nice to know your sooo supportive."

"I'm trying to be. I show affection and you-"

"In front of everyone! What don't you understand? It's embarrassing."

"Oh, so I'm embarrassing, and you're jealous of your stepmother."

"I am NOT jealous!"

"Mad that you have to share your father's attention, are you? Is that it?"

"No, and don't be a jackass. They've been married since I was 14. I'm over the attention thing. Like 6 years over!"

"Then what is it? Why are you treating everyone like crap?"

"Drop it, Arik." She warned.

"No I-"

Eve slapped him across the face, then stood there, looking at him.

"Hey! Eve, you know what? Suddenly, I've lost my appetite. And my desire to see you again." He pushed past her, heading for the door.

"Is that so? Fine by me." 

"Told you she'd slap him." Tom shook his head. "Bad word choice on his part. Very bad word choice."

"Eve, uh-" Harry began, trying to decide what to say.

"What?" She demanded.

"I was going to ask if you like to join Tom and I later. We were going to head down to the holodeck."

"We were?" muttered Tom.

"Sure." She smiled. "Sorry for snapping at you, Harry. I'm not in the best of moods."

He nodded. "It's fine. It's been a stressful time for everyone."


	2. The Talks

STE: Acceptance

STE: Acceptance

Part 2/3 The Ceremony

Summary: Eve and Arik get talked to about their little argument

AN: Make sure you've read Arrival and Abruption first. otherwise this will make no sense. 

"I hate her, I hate her, I hate her, I hate her, I hate her." Arik said angrily as he hit the punching bag. "I hate her, I hate her I- hey!" The bag disappeared, and Arik turned around.

"Hate who?" Talon asked, coming over to his friend. "Nice holo-program, by the way."

"Eve! God, she's such a stuck-up, conceited, brat!"

"Don't those all pretty much mean the same thing?" he paused. "Why do you hate your girlfriend?"

"My EX-girlfriend. I try to be nice, she yells at me. I try to be romantic, she yells at me. And then she slaps me!"

"Ah." Talon nodded. "A bit of a fight, I guess."

"You _guess_?" 

"Well, what did you say to her?"

"I came up behind her and kissed her neck. She kinda scolded me, but later, on the bridge, I put my arm around her and she moves my arm away, and then she says I don't use my head to think-."

Talon held back a laugh.

"and then she yells at me for kissing her, and so I apologize and we go to eat. I ask what's wrong, and she snaps at me. And when I try guessing things, I get yelled at again. And then because I kept talking, the bitch hits me."

"Hmm. What were your suggestions?"

"I figured that it would have something to do with Carr-"

"Carrie and Alexis? You know how to pick topics _reeeal_ well. And where were you when you kissed her?"

"In the docking wait room."

"With everyone there??"

He shrugged. "Well, yeah, it's not like they don't know we're dating. We were, that is."

"Did you hit your head? Do you realize how much you probably embarrassed her? In front of her father??!?"

"Well I'm not apologizing."

"Arik, you know she, one, really really misses Carrie, two, doesn't like Alexis much, three, Has this 'thing' about PDA's and, four, has a temper. Put that with the fact her crew has been thrown off course twice now, and it's a bad combination."

"Yeah, so?"

"Forget it. Just go on being stubborn. You'll apologize sooner or later."

**

Eve flopped down on her bed, just as the door rang. "Come on."

"So, what'd Arik do?"

"How'd you find out? You were on the bridge!"

"Gossip, dear Eve. It spreads quickly."

"Hrrmpf. Nice to know I'm a good topic."

"So, what'd he do?"

"Asked about Alexis, kissed me in from of my father, called me a spoiled brat."

"Oooh, he asked about Alexis. One of the seven deadly sins of dating Eve." Kamii rolled her eyes, sitting at the table. "You are _so_ sensitive!"

"You'd be 'sensitive' too."

"I heard you hit him."

"Yeah, well…."

"You can't hit someone just because you don't like what they say!"

Eve rolled over, now looking at the ceiling. "He deserved it."

"Right."

"Kamii, leave me alone, okay?"

"Will hit me if I don't?" she stood.

"Maybe."

"Whatever." She left Eve's room, passing Harry on the way down the hall. "Don't bother."

"Eve?" Harry called from the other side of the door.

"Yeah?" 

"Can I come in?"

"I guess so.."

"Thanks." He sat on her bed, next to her. "Look, Eve, about-" 

"Not you too!"

"Well, I mean, don't you even miss him? I saw how hurt you looked when he told you he never wanted to see you again."

She shrugged. "I'll live."

"I think you two were meant to be together. Really, I do." He grinned. "And I'm saying that even though I'd love to date you."

She looked at him. "You would?"

He nodded. "A lot of guys would."

She blushed. "You don't think I'm a spoiled brat, do you?"

"No. I know you're not jealous. You don't seem jealous. But I don't know what it is. Would you enlighten me?" Ensign Kim smiled at her.

She shook her head.

"Okay. Tom and I are going to the holodeck now. Are you ready?"

Eve shook her head again. " On second thought, I think I'll stay here."

Harry gave her a strange look. "All right. I'll see you at the ceremony, okay?"

She nodded. "Bye, Harry."

Eve watched him leave, before flopping back down on the bed. Not wanting to deal with anything else, she fell into a deep sleep.


	3. Threes

****

Acceptance

__

3/3

disclaimer: see previous parts.

AN: I know part of this seems very very unlikely, but that's to be explained in a later story. Alright?

"Eve?" a voice called from outside the door. 

"What?" she called groggily, sitting up to glare at the door. "Come in, by the way."

"You've got all of thirty minutes to be down in the Mess Hall." Answered what turned out to be the Doctor. "And It would be quite tacky to show up late for ones own graduation."

Eve gasped. "Sh-"

"That's not a very lady-like thing to say." The doctor smiled smugly.

"-Oot." She finished. "All right. I'll see you down there."

**

Eve walked into the Mess Hall, immediately stopped by Alexis and Garrett.

"Eve, hon, could we talk?" Alexis asked.

She was about to say no, but then glanced at her father, and reading the look on his face decided otherwise. "Sure." Eve sighed. 

Carrie motioned toward the other side of the room. "Less people over there."

The pair made their way across the room, and Eve briefly caught Arik's eye. He smiled at her before looking away.

"So, what is it?" Eve asked, glancing over to where Arik sat. 

"Well, as you know, your father and I both adore children. And we've been married for about seven years now…"

"Yeah…" Eve looked up at the woman. _'Oh, God, don't tell me your having a kid…'_ she thought.

"I guess I should just tell you. We're expecting a baby."

"Wha-I- Uhmm.. congratulations." She forced a smile. _'figures…'_

"There's something else." Alexis sighed. "Eve, I don't want to come between you and Arik. I feel partially responsible for your argument."

"You aren't re-"

"Yes I am. I know you dislike me. I -"

"It's not you. I- I just miss Carrie. A lot. I know I shouldn't cling to her this much, but I can't help it. He brought that topic up, I didn't want to discuss it. When he pushed, I blew up. We both said a lot of stuff. It's over. I'm over it."

Alexis hugged her. "Poor baby. You're so upset you can't even lie well. I'm going to go get him. You two are going to work this out."

"But I don't -"

"No buts."

Eve sighed. "All right."

Alexis returned with Arik a few minutes later. "Now, talk." She ordered. "Nobody leaves until you've apologized." 

For a long moment they just stood there.

"I'm sorry for embarrassing you." Arik started. "I shouldn't have kissed you in front of everyone."

"It's okay. I shouldn't have reacted like I did." She sighed. "I'm sorry I called you a jackass."

He shrugged. "I was being one. Sorry about calling you a brat. You really aren't."

"Sorry for slapping you. I really, really shouldn't have done that."

He hugged her. "It's okay. You've hit me harder."

She giggled, not noticing Alexis slipping away. "You mean in high school when you fixed me up with that friend of yours?"

"Yeah. Like then." He paused. "Are we friends again? It really was a stupid little fight."

She nodded. "Next time I do that, hit me back, okay?"

"If you say so…."

She kissed his cheek. "I love you, you know."

"Yeah, I do. I love you too." He took her hand. "Let's go sit down.

**

Harry looked up and saw the couple coming towards him. He moved over a seat so they could sit together. "So, what did Alexis tell you?" he asked

"She's going to have a baby," She told him in a whisper.

"That's great!" He paused as Eve's expression changed. "Oh… your not happy, are you?"

"Of course no! Why would I be?"

"Hey it'll be fun having a younger sibling, trust me," Harry told her.

"I rather like being an only child," Eve sighed. "Anyway it's not like we'd have the same Mom."

Harry cocked his head slightly. "You don't seem jealous… are you afraid that General Bryce will forget about Carrie?" Eve nodded.

"Uh, yeah… I guess I am." Harry leaned over and hugged her.

"Don't worry Eve. He won't, how could he?"

"Well, with Alexis and now the baby…" She tailed off and looked in the direction of her stepmother.

"What about you?" Harry asked her. "I was there when he said you're a lot like Carrie. With you how could he forget Carrie?"

"I don't know, I just don't know!" She muttered leaning back in her chair. 

Arik turned toward her from where he was chatting with Kamii and Talon, he touched her shoulder. "Might I suggest a topic change?"

Eve nodded and smiled at him, "Good idea."

Harry looked at the two and grinned. " So, I hear you surf? When'd you learn?"

"Well I started taking lessons when I was about 10."

"Did you ever compete?"

"Yeah," Eve nodded. "Wasn't very good, but it was fun."

"Cool."

"Yeah." Eve smiled as she nodded. 

"So what sport did you play at the academy?" Harry asked looking over at Arik.

"Basketball, you?"

"If I could have everyone's attention, we'll begin." Interrupted Admiral Paris. "Thank you." He continued as the room quieted. "Now, as you may or may not know, the cadets have decided to try and return to the Delta Quadrant. Seeing as how they will not be able to finish their time at the Academy, the Council has decided to award them honorary diplomas. They will keep their current position and rank they have now, just to make sure every thing keeps running smoothly."

**

Captain Janeway called the remainder of her command crew to the transporter room without telling the group what was up. Chakotay thought it probably had something to do with the planet they had recently contacted.

"So what is this all about?" B'Elanna asked. The whole group was their and having assumed that they would need to wear them the had put on their dress uniforms.

"We have an ambassadorial meeting with the Kaydari people. B'Elanna and Tuvok you two will be coming with me down to the surface, Chakotay? You'll stay on the ship as acting captain, all right?"

"Yes captain, although I need to know why I had to dress up if I wasn't going?" Chakotay asked, Janeway smiled and shrugged as the three that were going stepped on the transporter pad and promptly disappeared.

They shimmered and reappeared on the planet surface. Janeway looked at her two companions, "Let's hope this goes better than some of our previous 'peace talks'" 

**

The ship shook, and Eve sat up in bed. According to her clock, it was one in the morning. "Please tell me we aren't being attacked…." 

The Eclipse had been repaired, and the crew had decided to take it out, and do some flying about the Quadrant.

She made her way to the bridge, where everyone was intent on finding out just who had fired at their ship.

**

"We understand your people are telepaths," Janeway said to the ambassador.

"Yes, we are, though, unless you broadcast widely we will not purposefully pick up your thoughts." 

"So you could read are thoughts." B'Ellana asked flinching in her seat. The alien turned its head toward her.

Yes, if we wanted to." The alien's eyes blinked slowly. "All I am reading from you now is sorrow, and pain." It's eyes changed from the light green to an iridescent purple. "Also a touch of… concern."

"Concern?" Janeway looked toward Tuvok. He was the one who the alien had pointed at with its head when it had recited off the emotions.

"I learned to suppress my emotions as a boy, surely you do not mean me." Tuvok put in.

"You radiate as much if not more emotions than your friends." 

Tuvok raised an eyebrow. "I would not think so, but you must read at a different level then other telepaths." The alien's head moved to the side.

"That may be a likely explanation" the alien paused then looked at the captain, " I heard of another ship that traveled with you what happened to it?"

**

"Evasive action!" Eve screamed as sparks flew across the bridge.

"AAH!" Kamii screamed as her council exploded, she was thrown back with the force.

"Kamii!" Talon cried biting back the want to run to her.

"Damn it!" Eve cried adding to the confusion. She took a deep breath as another explosion wracked the ship. 

"Hull breaches on decks 8, 9, 10 and 14." Ensign Chairmen reported.

"Captain the aliens are hailing us," Tom, who'd taken over for Kamii, furrowed his eyebrows. "They are asking us to surrender."

"Tell them hell no!" Eve yelled.

"Three Starfleet vessels are nearing us." Talon yelled over the din.

"Thank the stars." Eve muttered. "Hail them."

"This is Captain Eve Bryce of the USS Eclipse, we need your assistance." She dug her nails into the chair to keep from falling off again.

"This is Captain Dunmore of the USS Austin, Captain Bryce, I would suggest tactic A-356-D." came a reply. Eve nodded. 

"You heard the man."

The starships took evasive action and attacked the Enemy ship. "Bryce to Lt. Gibson! What's the status down there?" There was no response.

The bridge shook again. "Shields down to 25%!" Chairmen called out. Eve shut her eyes. "Divert Auxiliary power!" Eve yelled.

"Already done Ma'am."

"Can we transport off?"

"Transports are off line."

Eve bit her lip, "Damn, where is Janeway when I need her?" She muttered. "I don't know what to do."

"We have to get out of here before we get blown to pieces." Talon yelled at her disrupting her thoughts.

"Go to warp nine!"

"But-"

"JUST DO IT!"

The ship shuddered and the comm buzzed. "What the hell do you think your doing?" Arik yelled. "You'll blow the core!"

"Drop out of warp!" Bryce yelled. Paris pulled the ship out of warp a second later. "Where are we?"

"The Delta Quadrant." Harry said.

"WHAT?"

Ariks voice came over the comm. again; "we have a Warp core breach down here!"

"Get out of there!" Eve yelled. "Lock off the deck." She took a deep breath. "Paris attempt to scan for Voyager."

"The cores gone." Lt. Gibson came over the comm. again as a picture of the core flew by the view screen.

"The lucky three." Harry muttered.

"Ay-yi-yi." Eve mumbled. "There goes warp speed. Paris! How fast can we go without the core?"

"Uh…" Paris began. "Impulse was blown in the firefight." Eve hit her head against the side of her chair. "Ugh." She grunted. Looking up she cleared her throat. "So we're stuck?" She asked.

"Looks that way." Paris nodded.

"ARG!" Eve yelled. "I could have been assigned to Starfleet command! But no, I insisted on the month in space."

"Starfleet command." Harry laughed. "Oh so exciting." Eve turned her head to glare at him.

"I wouldn't be stuck here! None of this would have happened; I could surf on a real beach!" She took a deep breath. "Are their any ships nearby?"

"Just Voyager."

"Try to get a hold of them."

"We're out of communications range."

"How?"

"We have better sensors." Talon put in.

"That's just great."

Paris shrugged, "Not my fault."

"Any nearby planets that they might be on, or do we just sit here and hope they come into comm. or scanner range?"

"Yes, Tesack II."

"Can we take a shuttle down? And use that to scan for Voyager?" Eve asked.

"Yea, I think so." Harry said.

"Oh goodie… Can someone give me an update on Kamii and the other injuries?"

"Critical, we need Voyager; our med bay was breached."

"Okay this is the worst day of my life." Eve muttered. "Okay, uh…. Seven and… uh, Tom? And hmmm…. Harry, come with me."

"Yes captain." Harry said.

**

The head alien ambassador, Qewu, smiled at Janeway. "Your companion ship you spoke of earlier…."

"Yes?"

"You may want to return to your ship. I believe you will find something interesting."

Janeway frowned. "I believe I don't understand."

"Just go." Urged another.

She nodded. "Three to beam up." 

**

"Why me… Why me… Why me… Why me… Why me… Why me… Why me… Why me…" Eve hit her head against the console.

"Captain." Seven said in her calm even voice. "What is that accomplishing?"

"To tell you the truth…" Eve turned her head toward her. "Absolutely nothing, I'm frustrated."

. A noise from the back of their shuttle drew their attention.

"Oh, this could be fun." Harry said turning.

Bryce stood. "Hello?" She called. "Have you come for the high tea?"

Harry laughed. "Maybe we've got Trick-or-Treaters."

"Oh goodie." Eve retorted.

"Captain on the bridge!" came a voice.

"Of course I'm on the Bridge," Eve snapped at Tuvok then blinked. "Tuvok?"

"Hello." Janeway said calmly.

Eve stuttered. "But- uh - I… need to sit down."

"Then sit." Janeway told her. "So what exactly is going on?"

"Well our warp core blew us to the Gamma Quadrant. There we almost died. We went to Deep Space Nine for a while, and to make a long story shot- I'll tell the rest later - the warp core went nuts, we were blown back here and now we don't have a warp core or propulsion. Thrusters went too. Oh, Kamii has plasma burns and several fractures from when her post blew up and we had to put the fire out. It was weird just sitting there with the ship on fire."

"Why did-"

"The post explode? We were attacked again." Eve answered.

"Why are-"

"We wearing dress uniforms if we were in combat? Deep Space Nine was attacked in the middle of our graduation."

"Can we get to Voyager and then go back and repair the Eclipse?" interrupted Harry. 

"Of course." Janeway smiled. "It's good to have you back; we were all so worried."

"Hey, we were worried too." Eve shrugged.

"Yeah, but Janeway probably didn't go nuts." Paris muttered. Janeway raised an eyebrow and glanced at Eve who smiled warily.

**

"Great idea of Eve's, leaving the ship the moment something goes wrong. Where are we going to get a new warp core?" Arik muttered.

"We'll do what Voyager does.."

"And that is?"

"You'll see."

Arik glared at Talon who shrugged and walked away. 

"Yeah, but does Voyager's Warp core fly out of the ship and explode?" Arik yelled after him. He frowned at Talon's back, then began to inspect the stations, several of which had exploded. "Stupid ship." He muttered and kicked the railing before starting repairs.

*********

fin

**********


End file.
